Trash collection in rural regions is accomplished by locating multiple collection bins at various waste collection sites throughout the regions. The bins are typically large enough to hold a week's or month's amount of garbage deposited by the consumers nearest the collection site. The garbage is periodically retrieved from the various sites and taken to a central waste repository, such as a landfill or incinerator plant.
The garbage retrieval process can be accomplished in a variety of ways. One approach is to send a large garbage truck to each site to empty the individual bins at the remote regions. These trucks typically have a front or rear end loader which grasps each bin and dumps its contents into a large holding chamber on the truck. A second retrieval technique is to use mobile bins which are equipped with wheels and trailer hitches. The mobile bins are hitched to a semi-truck and towed to the central repository, where the bins are emptied. A third approach is to utilize portable bins which can be loaded onto a trailer or flatbed truck and transported by a vehicle to the dumping repository.
The above techniques are effective at handling waste, but are generally costly to implement. The mobil wheeled bins are expensive to manufacture in comparison to stationary or portable bins and thus, locating a mobil bin at each remote waste collection site can be expensive. The stationary bins require the purchase and operation of special garbage trucks that are capable of lifting and emptying the bins. The portable bins also often require a special hoist- or crane-mounted vehicle which raises the bins onto the flatbed. Accordingly, these techniques prove to be expensive alternatives.
Another problem concerns emptying the portable and mobile bins. It is common for the central repository to have special large dumping equipment designed to lift the bins and invert them to empty the trash contents. This dumping equipment is expensive and often requires skilled personnel to operate it.
The costs associated with these systems becomes nearly prohibitive for those consumer groups located in less populated rural areas because the few people cannot afford these elaborate systems.
This invention therefore provides a solid waste handling system which is a low cost alternative to these systems. The system of this invention includes a multipurpose trailer and refuse container which is easily loaded onto the trailer. The trailer and container are designed to be towed behind a small truck, such as a 3/4-ton pick-up truck. The trailer is used to take the refuse container to and from central waste repositories. It is also multipurpose for use in other activities that are common in the rural environment, such as hauling farm equipment or other large machinery. The system also includes a unique design for discharging the trash at the central repository without having to remove the container from the trailer. The novel system thereby eliminates the expense of special garbage collection vehicles or large dumping equipment located at the central repository.